(Photo by Gordon Chibroski/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images)
The heartbreaking and puzzling case of Giovanni Pelletier just took another turn. The 18-year-old’s body was tragically discovered in a Florida pond. This reportedly occurred a week after he went missing during a family trip earlier this month. Now, he continues to be the center of a baffling and emotional investigation. During a press conference, the Sheriff’s Office broke down what they believe happened on the night of August 1. And, lets just say, it left folks with more questions than answers.
According to Sheriff Rick Wells, Giovanni was picked up by his paternal cousin and two of the cousins friends around 1:30 a.m. to make a late-night drive to Brevard County. Here’s where things get murky: Giovanni had never met two of the men before that night. While he had reportedly been texting with his cousin, this spontaneous meetup quickly took a dark turn. New video footage from that night allegedly shows Giovannis final moments. And, it includes a brief stop where the group claimed he was acting out and raging. Just minutes later, he sent his mom a chilling string of texts: “Help,” followed by “Help” and “Me.“
“They text about smoking weed. Giovanni says, ‘I haven’t had a smoke in a while because of court stuff going on in North Carolina,’ and he goes on to say, ‘I definitely need a smoke,'” Wells revealed of his texts that night. And, according to Pelletier’s cousin, in a police interview, “not long into the drive, they start smoking weed in the car and Giovanni starts tripping.”
The people in the car told authorities that Giovanni was saying disturbing things like I am a demon and I will wreck this car and will kill them all. One friend even claimed Giovanni tried to open the door while the car was moving. The trio allegedly pulled over again, reportedly after hearing he had a knifethough the sheriff confirmed it was never pulled from its sheath. Thats when they say Giovanni ran off, leaving behind his backpack and phone. He was last seen darting across the highway, nearly getting hit by a truck. Instead of searching for him or calling the police immediately, his cousin phoned his grandfather. And, a minute later, he called Giovannis mombut she didn’t answer. Then, almost five hours later, the cousin reportedly called Giovanni’s mom again to explain what had happened.
More eyebrow-raising details emerged when surveillance footage surfaced, showing a figure sprinting down a steep embankment just minutes after Giovanni exited the car. That embankment leads directly to the pond where his body was eventually found on August 8 by a private investigator hired by his family. “No signs of any trauma to the body, no indication he was shot, no indication he was stabbed,” said Wells, adding that the medical examiner still hasn’t determined a cause of death. Toxicology results are still pending, and authorities claim there was marijuana residue in the vehicle; however, they dont know if it was tested.
“The important thing I want you to see is that there’s no one chasing him. There’s no one around him. When he’s coming down that embankment, the vehicle is two miles away,” shared Wells. “He’s by himself. What we don’t know is what happened when he hit that pond. I’m not going to speculate. The death is undetermined. We don’t have anyone that comes down that embankment after him, they don’t look for him. He’s there, we believe, until he was located by the family friend on Friday, the 8th.”
